Marijuana Tourists: Goodbye Colorado, Hello California and Nevada

Recreational marijuana in Colorado has proven to be a gigantic tourism (and tax) generator. The Colorado Tourism Office spent over $5.3 million on advertising campaigns last year, and never even promoted the marijuana industry once (due to federal laws); yet, Colorado’s legal marijuana industry was still responsible for 48% of the Rocky Mountain State’s tourism last year.

Tourists were surveyed in Colorado over the summer of 2016, and 85% agreed that recreational marijuana was part of the reason for their decision to visit the state, according to Sun Times.

But, now that four more states – California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada – legalized adult marijuana use on Nov. 8, Colorado’s marijuana-related tourism is expected to dwindle fast.

Marijuana enthusiasts in states neighboring the recently legalized states – such as Arizona, New Hampshire, and New York – will now be more inclined to visit them for a marijuana weekend getaway on California’s beaches or the Las Vegas Strip instead of Colorado.

Adults 21 and older can now possess and use marijuana in Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Washington D.C.